Echoes in the Passageways
by Yours Truly
Summary: One is not truly dead until one is forgotten, and a silent figure in Gondor holds to his memories, under the watchful gaze of the unknown...
1. Portrait of a Past

Disclaimer: If I wish to own LOTR, it means I do not possess it, which means it was of course never mine, for who would give away the rights to such a work of art?  
  
Author Notes: Same as before…I am Chilean so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes made on this story.   
  
It was a thing of the moment; I would appreciate any comments on a Review, please. Could become more, it depends, if anyone likes it… sure…  
  
Echoes in the Passageways  
By Yours Truly  
  
Summer heat invaded the castle of Gondor, symbol of human strength and royalty restored. While the Steward's family had inhabited it for generations, dust and age hung around it as if the building itself had been waiting in mourning for years. Blood had once been shed upon its halls and that blood had never been forgotten.   
  
Gazing with interest upon the tapestries that hung on the walls, narrating the history of a race that was destined to grow on the years to come under the noble gaze of the man who had come to take what was rightfully his, a silent figure seemed entranced by a particular piece. His wandering steps, which had been traveling through the castle, stopped cold at the image that greeted him on the wall, and blue eyes widened in remembrance and surprise.   
  
A noble man's painting hung on the wall, a woman at his side. His clothing the one of Royalty and her tiara simple yet noticeable, their expression gentle yet regal enough to be recognized.   
  
For those two had once been the King and Queen of Gondor, great on their time on this earth and fondly remembered.   
  
Yes, the silent figure remembered it well, those times. Long ago when peace had been upon these lands there was once a time when the shadow he had faced had seemed nothing but a distant ghost, and to the humans that lived in here they were nothing but their great-grandfather's tales, told in nights of Winter to 'entertain the younglings'.   
  
A bitter laugh escaped the figure's lips, its tone so cold it would have made those who knew him flinch. Nothing but tales, he had once thought so too, read about the happenings in old books stored away in cobweb filled spaces of the libraries he visited upon his own home, or upon a friend's.   
  
He remembered his curiosity enlightened, remembered the steps of a young one that ran to his father's studio and jumped upon his lap, eager eyes staring deep into the familiar ones of his sire. He remembered the words leaving his lips in a hurry, the doubt burning in his mind. His father's eyes had gone cold then, when he had asked, and the memory was no longer a merry one after that.   
  
He was told of the death of his own family at the hands of what he had believed a lie, and the books had suddenly been frightening in his young mind. He had apologized for asking, even while he knew his father did not expect him to, and the grief that had settled upon his sire's features was replaced by some surprise and the gentle look he was used to seeing upon it. But he had run back to the library too fast to hear his next words.   
  
His eyes had re-read the story, and what he had before found interesting now seemed heartless and cold; mean and too dark to be real, yet when he had looked up to see the portrait of his ancestor, now long gone from this land, he understood that it had been true. And it had marked his family with his passing. The story had fascinated his senses, yet a sense of grief accompanied it from then on. He had had a dream that night, of himself intertwined in the story of the trinket that has caused so much heartache.   
  
He had known, from then on, that his fate would be involved in the history of Middle-Earth, and suddenly his young eyes had lost some of its light in silent question to the stars of when the day would come, when darkness so great would threaten them all.   
  
It had not come for many a year, and when the events that lead to it came to pass he had been prepared, having trained in weaponry for the rest of his life. Still somewhat a child to some of his kin, he went ahead on the quest he had anticipated for such a long time.  
  
And they had prevailed; he had avenged the soul of his ancestor by helping in the defeat of the very thing that caused so much anguish upon the Halls at his own home and all through the known land.   
  
Now, weeks later he still dwelt in this place, in silence and remembrance, his eyes taking in the other part of the story of those times when he had been young and in ignorant bliss. The portrait of the King and Queen of Gondor brought upon him scenes of a past long ago lost, of a gentle human face smiling at him in friendly respect, when the King had visited his lands on a state matter. The memories were fond ones of the glowing face of the Queen as she caressed the belly where her child would grow, and the proud face of the King as he watched his family. His final memory was a heavy hand on his shoulder in a sign of farewell, as their horses rode away fast towards their Kingdom.  
  
Although the King and Queen of Gondor lived years after that memory, he never saw them again.   
  
Muffled steps on the corridor, alerted the silent figure of the approaching of someone, and the pattern of breathing immediately told him who it was that came. Refusing to give up on his memories yet, he never took his eyes off the portrait as finally the other being stood beside him, admiring the same paint with grief and dim memories of his own.  
  
"What are you doing so far into the castle?" The new arrival's voice called softly, his voice questioning instead of commanding, as would have been expected from the man that spoke.  
"Remembering" came the melodious answer that broke the long kept silence of the figure  
"You knew them?"  
"Briefly…I have told you before"  
"Aye, you have…would you mind telling me again?"  
  
A gentle smile and friendly eyes no longer lost in days past turned to the man, and a nod accompanied the figure's answer. "Of course not, my friend…lead the way"  
  
And Aragorn led Legolas towards the gardens, eager to hear even the smallest of images his friend had of his lost parents.  
  
The blood shed upon this halls had not been forgotten, yet the ghosts of the past were willing to wait, for this moment of friendship would not go interrupted.   
  
The End  
  
…Or maybe not. I'm not sure yet. Please R&R and tell me what you think.   
  
More Author Notes:   
  
For those of you who don't know what I was talking about on the story, it is simple:   
  
Legolas father is Thranduil who fought in the Last alliance next to his own father (and Legolas' grandfather) Oropher; who was slain in battle.   
  
So in short, Legolas' family was intertwined with the story of the Ring of Power, and his lost ancestor was his grandfather, Oropher, slaughtered in the Last Alliance.   
  
*-*-*-*-  
And this…only for the really…really…slow readers (in lack of a better, PG deserving, word):  
  
Legolas was the 'silent figure'; he was remembering his own childhood when he discovered the story of the Ring in a book and asked his father, Thranduil, who in return told him of the death of his grandfather in the war Legolas had been reading about. He also remembered Aragorn's parents (Arathorn and his wife) while they were still alive.  
  
Aragorn came in and asked Legolas to tell him about his parents, the elf agreed, and there is something else in the castle that didn't wish to interrupt the scene, but while I am not telling what it is, it's there, and if you're interested, please Review…^^ (Aren't I obvious? :))   
  
*-*-*-*- 


	2. Bewildered Gaze

Disclaimer: I've been asking LOTR for my birthday since I was like 9…and I still don't own it…so I'll let you know when it's mine *cough*never*cough*  
  
Author Notes: Answering to the overwhelming demand…not…but I overwhelmed myself with my demand, I'm writing more *Grin* Thank you to those kind souls who took pity on me and reviewed the 'vague' first chapter, as someone put it. Just in case, it was supposed to be vague, otherwise I would have gone right ahead and told the names of everybody…  
  
And for those interested in "Master in Deceiving"…Chapter 27 is now up, but other than that, I'm stuck! I'll try to get something out soon, I promise…  
  
Again, I'm Chilean; I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes.   
  
Echoes in the Passageways  
By Yours Truly  
  
He turned his eyes towards the dancing colours of the flames that burned steadily within the fireplace of the library, before sighing and rising from his comfortable seat, walking at a brisk pace towards the balcony with the steps of his friend close behind him. He stood before the window, unwilling to open the glass doors and face the cold of the night, as he was unwilling to face the piercing gaze of the man that stood behind him.  
  
"What do you intend with this folly? You know well you should not have heard the words of that old man, alive now only by my own mercy" His voice had gone soft with weariness. He struggled to ignore the bizarre alerts that resounded in his head while he stood here, looking towards the stars of Elbereth with his back to his friend.   
  
"My Lord…" His friend's voice started respectfully, a strange note almost disguised by the trust that existed between them, but still perceivable to him "the seer has told me…"  
  
The mere mention of that title brought on anger within him. Images of the past danced behind his eyes and he was unable to contain his reply, interrupting his friend's words "It matters not what he has made-up now! Why did you go to him in the first place?"  
  
His friend hesitated, before placing a hand in his shoulder "He called for me, sire…you should hear this, it concerns you, it concern us all!"  
  
He half turned his head to the side, seeing the silhouette of the man standing close behind him, as the hand on his shoulder was withdrawn "Do you remember what he spoke long ago? Do you remember the words he said to put his life in peril?"  
  
"I do, sire, but you must understand…" His friend's voice was beginning to bear an edge of anxiety to it, which bothered him enough to interrupt the explanation again.  
  
"It was treason, my friend" His voice now held a dangerous note to it, which the other man was quick to notice "That man was banished from this Kingdom for it, and a meeting with him was not within your schedule when you left this castle towards the North…" Suspicious eyes studied the hazy reflection in the windowpane in front of him "Was it?"   
  
"Of course not, my Lord!" His friend was quick to reassure "He called for me, while I stayed at an Inn, at   
Bree…I went because he said he had important news, knowledge that our Kingdom could not spare! And he did, my Lord, you must listen to me"  
  
"I will, my friend, but please have in mind…you are speaking the words of a treasonous man, and you run the risk of being accused of the same faults"  
  
"You would do such?" The voice of the man he had trusted for years sounded suddenly shaken, almost afraid, and he no longer knew what to expect from him.  
  
"I would do what I see is right, you know this well" He nodded to the other's reflection "Proceed, what is this crucial knowledge?"   
  
A pause followed his question, and then a sigh that resounded in the room "I fear for my life, my liege, he spoke of great pain and bloodshed"  
  
"He spoke treason once more? He spoke with distrust for the strength of my reign, as he once did?" His voice rose with its anger, remembering how years ago, the one who had lived in this very castle spoke words of a terrible connotation…words that had marked that man's fate, causing him to be banished from his Kingdom.   
  
A pause, and steps that moved towards the doorway were his answer, before his friend's voice drifted across the room to his ears "He did, sire…he spoke of treason"  
  
"Why the eagerness to pass this news to me, then, my friend?" He turned around and was faced with the back of the other man, who was almost out the door.  
  
"That man was convinced of his claims, my Lord, I saw it as my duty to warn you…this are dark times we live in" Here his friend paused and he felt his back tensing in anticipation to the other's next words "As your friend, mostly, I thought it my duty to try one last time to make you see what lies in front of your very eyes"  
  
His hand clenched into a fist and his eyes flashed with red fury "You call me blind then?" The cold tone his voice had taken seemed to be more frightening to the other man than his anger had been, as his frame shuddered noticeably "You say the Kingdom will fall, as that old man does, as this so called 'seer' has said? You see blood upon my Kingdom?"   
  
"Nay, my Lord" the other answered calmly "I see nothing, for nothing has yet come to pass…I see the same things you see…only perhaps with a different standpoint…I am not a King like you, after all"  
  
"You do not want to play with me, *friend*" His voice lowered dangerously, angered even further when the other man refused to turn around and face him…much as he himself had done earlier, he acknowledged later on to himself.  
  
"Nay, Lord, I do not," The other man turned quickly and bowed, before giving another step towards the doorway of the library "Please excuse me"  
  
And he was gone.   
  
Storming back towards the glass doors that lead to the balcony, he now opened them forcefully, and the cold night air hit him brusquely, startling him…  
  
…Out of his dreams.  
  
Legolas gasped for breath as he sat up upright in his bed, his right hand clutching his head as a short wave of lightheadedness hit him. His forehead was drenched in sweat, a strange thing for an elf, and he couldn't quench the building panic within his chest as he stood from the bed without thinking. Rushing towards his wardrobe he dressed in clean garments, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts of some threat he couldn't name, too caught up in the images of his dream to realize everything was peaceful. He ran out of his guest room, blond hair flying behind him.  
  
He had to hurry, that was all he knew. Legolas ran at full speed, in a desperate search for…   
  
…For…  
  
…What?  
  
His mind slowly clearing somewhat, the Elf halted in his sprint and shut his eyes tiredly a hand reaching up to massage his aching temples. Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, he opened his eyes slowly, realizing that the morning was still a few hours away. Guilt assaulted him when he looked back the way he had come. He must have startled many a guard with his mad dash towards…somewhere…  
  
Where *had* he been going…and that dream…dream?  
  
"Legolas?"  
  
The soft voice made him jump as he turned his head quickly, meeting the confused gaze of Aragorn as the man stood in a doorway a few feet away.  
  
"Legolas, what is it?"  
  
Not knowing how to answer, Legolas just stood there observing the man. His friend. Tilting his head to the side he narrowed his eyes carefully, caught again within the strange visions of earlier. He reached a hand towards Aragorn and whispered softly, not aware of the words he was uttering.  
  
"What am I doing there?"  
  
The reflection in the windowpane…what had been *his* reflection in the windowpane…  
  
He had been…Aragorn…in his dream?  
  
No…no…Aragorn had different eyes…different stance…the hair was longer and the beard shorter…  
  
"You have come" Legolas whispered in awe, his blue eyes widening and a smile spreading across his face "I knew you would come"  
  
"Legolas?" Aragorn frowned at his friend, his eyes clouding with worry and confusion as he walked carefully closer "What is it? What are you whispering?"  
  
"Legolas?" The Elf frowned at his words and looked down at himself, bringing a pale hand to study it carefully with sharp blue eyes, lifting the same hand to take a hold of a golden strand of hair and study it disbelievingly. He seemed honestly confused as he did this, and when the hand found one of his pointed ears, understanding seemed to down in him. "An Elf…" Legolas whispered in surprise "You can see me then…"  
  
Aragorn reached his friend's side now, having heard the latest whispers his brow wrinkled in further confusion "Legolas…"  
  
Legolas smiled and looked up at him, this time revealing to the human that his eyes were clear blue no longer, but a hazy grey "Nay, my boy, that is not my name" The Elf whispered and moved to embrace him "But I shall explain later…I must…let me look at you…"   
"Legolas, what is this…? Are you well, what is this sorcery?" Aragorn asked worriedly, finding no sign of his elven friend in the gaze that studied him fondly  
  
"I know not how this gift came to me…but keep your friend close, my boy, keep him here with you for I shall need his help" Legolas whispered sadly "We both will need his help"  
  
"What…Who…?"   
  
"This elf" Legolas pointed at himself "Keep him close, Aragorn, we will need his help"  
  
"Who are you…?" Aragorn sounded baffled as he found some sense in this bizarre exchange   
  
A smile grazed Legolas' lips and he adverted his gaze "As much as I desire to tell you, you are not ready for the knowledge, my boy" A sigh and a last lingering caress to his cheek from Legolas came then, Aragorn standing there, too shocked to do much else "I will go now…I shall leave your friend in peace…don't let him go yet, Aragorn, you will need him, as will I"  
  
And then Legolas' eyes closed, his body stumbling as if exhausted, and by his fast reflexes only did Aragorn managed to catch him before he fell. Confused blue eyes looked up at him as they blinked a few times, trying to make sense of the strangeness of the situation.  
  
"Aragorn?"  
  
To be continued  
  
Please R&R!   
siberian_blue18@yahoo.com 


	3. Facing Dreams

Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it again…? As if you all thought LOTR was mine…  
  
Author Notes: I have no idea about reviews yet, because I started writing this right after I posted the past chapter, but just in case, thank you to any kind souls that have taken the time to read and review this story.  
  
I'm Chilean and this story may hold grammar or spelling mistakes, so I apologize for any of those.  
  
Having just found the direction I wanted to take this story after it started writing itself on the last chapter, I'm debating whether or not I should change something that bothered me slightly about the ending of the 2nd chapter…I'll let you know if I am to make changes, and I apologize if I make you read that again because of my own insecurities @_@  
  
Echoes in the Passageways  
By Yours Truly  
  
"Aragorn?"   
  
Confused azure eyes blinked up at him from the pale face of his friend, and Aragorn found himself unable to respond. Not being capable of coming up with any explanation for what had just happened, he just stood there, with an arm steadying Legolas' suddenly weak body.   
  
"Aragorn, what happened?" Legolas asked, more anxiously this time when he received no response to his previous inquiry.  
  
What *had* happened, Aragorn wondered.   
  
He had talked with Legolas for a long time earlier in the night; remembering the Elf' meeting with his parents which had taken place long years ago and discussing the past, until they had parted company and the Elf had gone into his bedchambers.   
  
His mind elsewhere, Aragorn had found no rest in his bed, so he had risen once more and gone to do some of the extensive paperwork of the duty he now held. Thus, obviously, when after hours of working and while still a considerable time away from the dawn he had heard running steps inside the castle walls, he had been alarmed. Rising from his comfortable seat he had walked outside the room, to find himself a few feet away from a frantic looking Legolas, who looked to all as if he were running from a Balrog.   
  
But the Elf had halted his run, as if exhausted or perhaps confused, for the Elf had looked around himself and back towards the way he had come like he didn't know what he was doing. Perhaps he didn't. Next thing Aragorn knew, Legolas was stretching an arm towards him with an expression of wonder and relief the former ranger could not explain. He seemed awed to see him standing there, when they had parted company no more than a few hours ago. The bizarre conversation that had ensued was still far too complex for Aragorn's already baffled brain to even try to make sense to, and all he knew right now was that Legolas was in his arms, looking at him with an expression of building panic that Aragorn knew he should try to remedy, however he could.   
  
"Aragorn…what…?" Legolas was saying when the human snapped out of his thoughts, and he realized the Elf was struggling to get free of his hold of him. Releasing his hold, Aragorn was taken aback when Legolas turned from him, his eyes wide, as if ready to flee in the other direction.   
  
"Calm down, Legolas, it is me, all is well" Aragorn said softly, surprised at the calmness in his voice. All was not well, but what was amiss, the human could not explain.   
  
Legolas turned back and looked at him warily, his voice cold when he spoke "What is going on?"  
  
"I know not, Legolas, something just took place" Aragorn gestured vainly with his hands, trying to explain what he didn't understand himself "And I'm not sure what it was" he finished wearily, when Legolas just stared at him  
  
"Neither am I, if you do not tell me… how did I get here?" Legolas questioned, his eyes loosing their wariness as he searched for answer he did not held.  
  
Aragorn sighed and shook his head, indicating the room he had vacated earlier with his right hand "Let us get out of this hall, we can talk more comfortably in here"  
  
Legolas nodded and walked ahead, taking a step into the room before freezing entirely, causing Aragorn to bump into him. Taking a hold of the slim shoulders, Aragorn walked around the frozen figure to face the Elf, and found Legolas' eyes had widened considerably, their blue depths traveling through the room's every corner. The Elf went past him and moved towards the main desk, sitting down on the chair and looking around him.  
  
"What is it, Legolas?" he questioned as he moved closer, trying to identify what had caused this reaction from his friend.  
  
"The room" Legolas stated, as if it were obvious "This is the library, is it not?"  
Aragorn just nodded, confused as to where this conversation was leading.  
"I've never been here before" Legolas said softly "Yet I dreamt about it tonight"  
"You dreamt?" Aragorn repeated, his eyes meeting those of Legolas "Without knowing what you were dreaming about?"   
  
Legolas shook his head, and his eyes became troubled "I dreamt, Aragorn, and I had no control. I was someone else and I was in this place…although it looked slightly different…I could not wake either, I believe it was akin to mortal's dreams…but I know not how it came to happen" Legolas shook his head and stood up from the seat walking across the room towards where some tapestries hung on the wall. "This wasn't here…there was another tapestry in its place…and that" his pale hand pointed towards two swords that hung over the fireplace "those were not the same swords I dreamt about"  
  
Intrigued and slightly worried Aragorn studied the things Legolas pointed and found a disturbing connection. Turning to meet the blue eyes again he walked towards the far wall and placed his hand over the tapestry the Elf had signalized "For one, this belonged to Denethor, Boromir's father and the steward of Gondor, for this is the standard of his family" pointing towards the swords over the wall, "And those swords…" Aragorn sighed sadly "Are replacements for the old ones that used to hang proudly in their place"  
  
"Replacements?" Legolas questioned him softly, seeming to notice his mood change "Why replace the others?"  
  
"The old ones were used for bloodshed" Aragorn explained him "And in an attempt to cover the facts, the one that exploited them hid them from public view, stole them you may say" His eyes closed and re-opened, something hidden in their depths "A thief and a murderer made use of those swords, staining even what the weapons represented" and turning to walk to his seat, Aragorn said no more.  
  
Understanding and sympathy dawned in Legolas' gaze, and he let the subject go, hearing what was said and what remained unspoken "So I dreamt of the past, then?" Legolas asked softly, "How? I had never been to Gondor before"  
  
Aragorn shook his head and remained quiet, before studying the Elf carefully "I am not even sure how you dreamt"  
  
Legolas moved towards the glass doors of the balcony, looking through them as he had done in his dream, this time inside his own body "Neither am I, my friend" He sighed "And I am not sure I wish to know"  
  
"What do you make of what happened?" Aragorn inquired after a moment of silence "Do you even remember it?"  
  
Legolas shook his head and turned back to face him, his eyes clouded with worry and confusion "Nay, I do not…I shall need your help with that. The last I can recall was parting your company and laying down for some rest…" A small smile came from the Elf then "The next thing I know I'm in your arms and you're staring at me as if I had turned into Saruman"   
  
Aragorn barked out a laugh and shook his head at the Elf "Surely I was not…I was not horrified, like I would be if you suddenly turned into an evil wizard, I was merely…"   
"…Stunned?" Legolas supplied and the human nodded   
"You can say that" Aragorn sighed "It is not every day a composed Elf Prince like yourself makes a mad dash through the castle in the middle of the night, and then speaks to me as if you had not seen me in years…like you were someone else, actually"   
  
Legolas blinked at him for a few minutes before raising a delicate eyebrow "I did those things?"   
"You did" Aragorn confirmed with a nod   
Tilting his head to the side Legolas narrowed his eyes "You are not teasing me, are you?"  
"I am not Legolas, I do not make these kind of jokes" Aragorn held up his hands and shook his head   
"Any longer you mean," Legolas smiled at the man, but it soon dissolved back into a frown of confusion "Spoke as if I were someone else, you say? I was someone else in my dream…what did I tell you, exactly?"  
  
"Terribly confusing things, as a matter of fact" Aragorn stated, leaning back in his seat "You…or whoever, wanted to look at me, as if you had not seen me in years…then you mentioned something about not thinking I was capable of handling your true identity when I questioned you on that…and finally you said I should keep you close, the real you close, because whoever that was and I would need your help"  
  
Both eyebrows went high into Legolas' forehead as he listened and he sat in the nearest seat available "'keep me close'?"  
"Those were your words" Aragorn nodded "But that was not the most confusing part of that little exchange"  
"It wasn't?" Legolas asked flatly, surprised it could get any worse   
"It wasn't" The human confirmed, "It was the fact that you marveled at being an Elf"  
  
Legolas' expression at that would have been hilarious to the man, had he not been expecting such a reaction, and had this situation not been so bizarre. It still managed to draw a small smile from the corner of his lips when Legolas' bewildered gaze met his "You are telling me" The Elf began "I did not know I was an Elf?"  
  
The human shook his head and Legolas fell back into his seat, eyes turned up towards the ceiling "Elbereth, I am finally insane" Legolas sighed and Aragorn shook his head   
  
"Then we are insane together, my friend, because I could have sworn that out there, it honestly wasn't you in some delusional state…but someone else entirely"  
"Do not worry, Aragorn, your sanity has fled long ago, that much I already knew" Legolas smiled humorlessly "But I was the sane one out of us, now we are in trouble"  
Aragorn grinned to the now slumped figure of the Elf "If you were the sane one, we were already in trouble" but wiping the grin from his face he sat up straighter "But seriously, Legolas, that was not you"  
"Who then?" Legolas sighed, meeting his gaze  
Silence met his question as Aragorn pondered its answer, but Legolas spoke again "Perhaps it was just something left from the dream…"   
  
The dream. A dream. Elves did not often lost control over their slumber, and they could certainly not dream of things they were not familiar with, like humans sometimes could. "Who did you dream you were?" he asked after a while.   
  
A shake of the golden head was his answer "I…I am not entirely sure, Aragorn"  
"Tell me of this dream you had"  
"Please, Aragorn, I am sc-…I am troubled enough with this whole thing, do not push me for answers yet"  
  
The slip of his tongue was not lost on the human and his gaze turned sympathetic. He stood up from his seat and walked towards his friend, kneeling in front of him and placing a friendly hand on his knee. "Whatever this is, Legolas, we are in it together, for I have already been involved"  
"Aragorn, it may be nothing…"  
"I do not think it's nothing," admitted the man "you were conscious, Legolas, your eyes were clear…if not for the fact they weren't exactly blue"  
Legolas blinked at him.  
"They were grey, or so I saw them" Aragorn explained at the blank look "and don't pull that face on me, I am serious"  
  
"Look," said the Elf flatly, leaning down and pressing his forehead to the man's "You've got them up close now, and trusting in every time I've glanced into a mirror, I am highly certain my eyes are blue"  
  
Aragorn pushed him away with a grin and shook his head "I know they are, you fool, but earlier they weren't"  
  
Legolas sighed and leaned back into his seat "I hold no answers"  
"And I can't help you with that, if you do not tell me about this dream of yours" Aragorn said gently, taking in the way the Elf adverted his eyes   
  
"I can't, Aragorn, don't ask it of me…not yet"  
  
The human sighed and nodded after a while, rising to his feet and extending a hand to his friend, who took it with a frown of confusion. "Join me for a walk?"  
The Elf smiled and extended his arms towards the door, bowing with mock reverence "After you, my King"  
"Very funny" said the man, pushing the Elf towards the door "Now just walk, your Great Highness Prince of Mirkwood"  
"Ugh, don't do that" whined the Elf as he walked alongside the man towards the gardens   
"Your Highness and Princeling, Legolas Thranduilion, the youngest and fairest Elf of the entire Royal House of the now re-named Greenwood The Great"   
  
"Now you are getting it!" Growled the Elf, not caring about the noise they made so early as he chased the human, who ran towards the gardens and was quickly tackled to the ground by a laughing Prince, much to the amusement of the present guards.  
  
"All right! I got it, get off me!" Laughed Aragorn when Legolas proceeded to mock strangle him with no force behind the grip in his throat. The Elf grinned and stood up, dusting off his clothes with false derision   
"Look the things you have me doing, rolling on the ground like I was a filthy ranger or something" he complained with a sigh and had to jump back to avoid the kick aimed at his legs, laughing all the while.   
  
He offered the man a hand up, and had to bit back his laughter when the saw only the right side of Aragorn's face was dirt-filled while the other side was clean. He said nothing of it, containing even his smile and turned to walk further into the gardens, winking over his shoulder at the guards when Aragorn walked ahead of him, oblivious to his present state. It was harder not to laugh when the guards were doing so behind their hands, but he managed.   
  
"What did you want to talk about?" He questioned the man after a while of comfortable silence, and Aragorn turned to face him  
"What do you mean?"   
"I know you, your walks are merely means to an end, what is it?" Legolas said with sidelong smile   
"And I thought I was being subtle" sighed Aragorn dramatically "I will have to hone my methods"  
A snort of laughter came from the Elf "You have the same methods since you were fifteen, now spill it"  
  
Aragorn turned serious and sat on a nearby bench, the Elf following his example.   
"Well?"  
"I am worried, Legolas, about this dreams, about the fact you dreamt at all…the fact that it somehow seems linked to me as well, rather than to yourself"  
"You do not know that for certain," said Legolas, turning his gaze to the sky "perhaps it involved me only, rather than you. Perhaps it was not Gondor's library that I dreamt about, after all it was slightly different…"  
"Decorations change, Legolas, that is no major difference, or do you tell me your father's throne room hasn't changed a few thousands times since I've visited it last?"  
"That is different, my father is rather eccentric"  
"Like father, like son" At the glare he got for that, he almost grinned again, but remembered matters at hand "So tell me of your dream"  
  
"Aragorn, no" said Legolas, angry now as he turned his eyes on the human's "I've told you before, and I'll tell you again, I am not ready to speak about this further, it troubles me greatly"  
"I know it does, my friend…but shouldn't you discuss it with someone?" his tone had gone soothing trying not to anger the Elf further   
"I will" The prince assured him, "Not now"  
  
The human sighed and gave up, nodding "Alright then, not now…but when you do…I am here if you need me"  
  
The Elf nodded and turned back towards the stars, stifling a yawn.  
"You are tired?" asked Aragorn, having detected the action   
"If that was a mortal dream, I know now why you humans are always so tired, it was no rest to me" explained Legolas, with a sidelong glance at Aragorn's dirt stained face.   
  
The human frowned slightly, but said nothing of it, only stood up again and helped the Elf up with him, walking back towards the castle past the guards who bit their lower lips and whose' shoulders shook strangely. Legolas winked at them when he walked past them and heard a chuckle escape the younger one, and saw the other man hit him over the head. He almost laughed himself.  
  
When the man stopped, Legolas glanced up and saw the human was entering his own bedchambers, so he followed. Aragorn sat in a chair by the bed and Legolas raised an eyebrow, to which the human only shrugged "If I go to bed now, I will only succeed in waking Arwen, since I will find no dreams tonight" said he as a way of explanation "But you should sleep"  
  
After a moment's hesitation, the Prince shrugged, stepping out of his boots and going under the covers still in his clothes, while Aragorn watched him distractedly   
"Good night, Aragorn"  
"More like day, now, but good night either way," said the man "Sleep well"  
"I hope so," Legolas whispered to himself but the man heard it, and he placed a gentle hand in Legolas' brow   
  
"I'll be here if you need me"   
The Elf merely smiled, and soon his eyes went vacant in Elven dreams.   
  
Aragorn sat in the chair, awake long after that, and saw the first rays of sunlight stream through the binds in the windows, his thoughts troubled over the friend who now rested peacefully.  
  
Or so the man thought.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Author's extra note: Another chapter gone! This is the first time I do such a long interaction between two characters, so I don't know if it came out right.   
  
Please R&R and let me know of your opinion on this little story! (The 'little' part of that sentence is completely subjective to one's view…okay so it's a lie) 


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